Davy Jones - Seattle Radio

[Randy Roadz]

I agree with JJ. About 20 minutes per hour is average. It's good to have plenty of prep in front of you prior to going in for a VT session. If you do it close to the time it airs, it's amazing how close you can be on the conditions and temp when giving the weather. Countless times (and I've been voice-tracking in some form since 1983), I've gone in and redone weather breaks when conditions or temps suddenly change or other breaks when there are breaking news elements or traffic accidents. You can't... well, shouldn't just show and go. It will come back to bite you. Certainly it's nice if you have the luxury of being in the building or near an FTP studio during your VT show.

A couple of things... jocks can give the illusion of VT being live by banking phone calls from listeners. Every call that comes in when you're doing a live show or when you're in the studio and are able to record, should be recorded and kept for VT use. Smoke and mirrors my friends.

Also, recording and re-recording VT elements is not always necessary. One thing that I've noticed is that if I have a fumble or stumble during a track... leave it in. Makes it sound more live. Unless you drop an F BOMB or something. The technology is amazing now days... the jocks are the key to making it sound here and now.

Oh... also, the three most important elements of any Radio show- LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL. Something the talent from outside the market CAN DO to a certain degree, but seems that most of the time CAN'T DO as well as your LIVE AND LOCAL Radio friends.

RR

 

[radiojjh]

amen my brother from another mother.....voicetrakking CAN BE an art-form if and I repeat IF done right. Most people that do it are usually too lazy to make sure it's done right....that IS what's so sad.....

 

[Bongwater]

Up to the minute relevancy is one of voicetracking's biggest faults. I can see how it can be done well (I knew long ago absolute perfection is impossible, live or on Memorex.) But some people who do voicetracking sound very good - too good. Yet totally out of touch with the here and now.

And contrary to the myth "people won't know the difference", a lot of casual listeners CAN tell a voicetracked program from a live one. It's things like a major event happening over the weekend (there've been a few of those lately - RIP Whitney Houston.) and no mention of it that's a painfully dead giveaway. So a Plan B might be in order.....

Voicetracking may have it's place, but it shouldn't be a resting place. Time and breaking news waits for no one. And if that's the case and a Plan B is needed and you're in a conglomerate that CAN afford it, what's the point in voicetracking anyway? Wouldn't it just be better to open those weekends to give your listeners a better quality live and local option from TV or Pandora anyway?......

 

[AQH]

Up to the minute relevancy is one of voicetracking's biggest faults. I can see how it can be done well (I knew long ago absolute perfection is impossible, live or on Memorex.) But some people who do voicetracking sound very good - too good. Yet totally out of touch with the here and now.

And contrary to the myth "people won't know the difference", a lot of casual listeners CAN tell a voicetracked program from a live one. It's things like a major event happening over the weekend (there've been a few of those lately - RIP Whitney Houston.) and no mention of it that's a painfully dead giveaway. So a Plan B might be in order.....

Voicetracking may have it's place, but it shouldn't be a resting place. Time and breaking news waits for no one. And if that's the case and a Plan B is needed and you're in a conglomerate that CAN afford it, what's the point in voicetracking anyway? Wouldn't it just be better to open those weekends to give your listeners a better quality live and local option from TV or Pandora anyway?......

The misconception here is that people tune to their favorite music station when they hear about the passing of people like Whitney Houston or Davy Jones. While there might be some truth to it when it comes to wanting to hear their music, people are still going to go to CNN or some other news outlet.

Your bombastic replies towards this kind of thing only applies to few radio stations, places that position themselves as the one to turn to when something goes really bad. That's where pre-recorded or syndicated programming can hurt someone's image, and if they fail on their pledge to be a place to go to when something happens, then they deserve the consequences.

When someone like Whitney Houston dies, my first instinct wasn't to go to Star or Warm, neither was it the instinct of a dozen people I was around when I heard about it. CNN's website is where I went.

Music stations are just that, MUSIC stations. They still have a responsibility to be creative and be there when something of that nature happens, but to be some breaking news outlet? Hardly.

 

[bobdavcav]

AQH, your position, though valid, is a little extreme. Yes, you have a point that music stations are not supposed to be there for breaking news, but I think KHKS did it right in Dallas. They mentioned it at the end of one song and into another. Then someone may punch to the AC to hear some of her music or log onto the internet to get more info. I didn't hear what the radio in this market did, but I understand it wasn't much. Unless I was listening to the news every day, I don't think I would have heard, which is where the problem is.